


everyone i know is trapped in boxes

by DoctorFitzy (KittooningMalijah)



Series: a bunch of rich jackassess with daddy issues sitting in a circle [2]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No SHIELD (Marvel), Angst, F/F, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Light Angst, M/M, Protective Grant Ward, executives' kids club
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 12:12:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19250956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittooningMalijah/pseuds/DoctorFitzy
Summary: Immaturity means there's an occasional poorly timed joke, but they all know it comes with the territory. Except when the timing is a little worse than usual.





	everyone i know is trapped in boxes

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the fluff alphabet challenge on tumblr
> 
> D - drunken love confession

Leopold sipped at his plastic cup of flat mountain dew, smiling while he rested his head against the knee next to him. The knee was attached to Grant Ward, who was perched on the edge of the couch cushions nursing some lite beer that had somehow ended up in the club house fridge, though it was clear by the sound he made after each sip that he wasn't enjoying it. For the first time in over a year, all five of the members of their club were settled in together, some late night infomercial filling the quiet while they just  _ relaxed.  _ And it was one of the best nights they'd all had in a while.

Even though they all had something different in their hands and no one was actually paying attention to anyone else, it had been a while since they had been so  _ connected. _

Fives phones lit up what was still left dark from the faint glow of the television, sometimes one or two or three laughs filling the room. Group texts flew despite the close proximity, and there was  _ peace _ in the penthouse for almost too long before something finally disturbed it.

" _ Werner _ !"

Channing practically screeched his name while one of the decorative pillows from the couch went flying and a hand went out quickly to try to stop her from throwing another one. Whatever the youngest member of their group had sent to their phones must have been inappropriate, or he was being mean in an effort to appear carelessly funny. Normally, it didn't matter which, it got under her skin regardless of his intentions.

"All I said was that your girlfriend looks really good tonight!"

Oh. So it was both.

Leopold and Grant both let out loud groans, one slightly more inebriated than the other, and there was a slightly more offended sound from the other side of the couch - the girlfriend he was oh so lovingly  _ complimenting _ . While they could all put up with Werner's childish behavior most of the time, there had been an agreement amongst their club that relationships were off limits, though the rule had mostly been put in place so that certain fathers wouldn't find out certain sexualities if he happened to make a joke around the wrong people. And he was breaking that rule openly. In the group text. Where they could all easily see it.

"I swear to all the nonexistent gods that you can think of, Von Strucker, I will tell your dad about what happened at the cabin last summer!"

Unable to keep from laughing, Grant tried to hide the sound with a cough into the inside of his elbow, carefully avoiding everyone else's gaze. They were all plenty aware that Stephanie Malick was  _ pissed off _ , and he had just done something that was almost worse than Werner's original offense. Which was pretty hard to do when he'd hit all three boxes that they hated the most.

"Shut up, Grant!"

"I didn't say anything!"

If it weren't for the hand absently running through his curls, Leopold might have laughed, too, but he was relaxed enough that even the smell of cheap beer didn't bother him that much. He was with the people he cared about the most, and he felt safe enough that even Werner's horrid sense of humor wasn't enough to shake him from his comfortable position besides to make a short comment of his own.

"Relationships are off limits, Play-Doh."

There was a scoff from the chair, and none of them had to look up to know that he was pouting, but they all shifted their gazes in that direction, anyway. "You wouldn't be saying that if I was complimenting your boyfriend. Guys, at least Leopold has a reasonable sense of humor."

The hand in his hair stilled at the words, fingertips staying present against his scalp while Grant's body tensed. It had only been a few months since the Scot's last stay in the hospital, and his fingers still got stiff if he tried to do too much since the cast came off his arm. Relationships were off limits for a reason, and though they were in a safe space, then, that didn't mean everywhere was safe. For some of them, the club house was the only safe place in the city.

"Werner, seriously, back off." Fingers slowly started to move through curls again, protective fidgeting that acted up whenever there was some reminder of the dangers that could find them at any moment. The other side of the door was a whole world that was teeming with danger, threats to his little family that he'd found after countless bad situations. "I won't let anyone else I love get hurt, and that includes you if you make a stupid mistake and Steph gets back at you for it."

Grant let the beer bottle be pulled away from his fingers and set on the coffee table, the cushion  next to him sinking with the weight of another human being. His hand had to be pulled from his boyfriend's hair to account for the new position, but it wasn't uncomfortable. He could be more sure that nothing would happen if he got to put an arm around Leopold's chest and keep him close.

Taking a slow breath, the tall American shook his head and tried to make himself relax despite the alcohol in his system. He was a bit tipsy, but nowhere near drunk, and he wasn't going to be drinking any more for the night. Not after the topic that had been brought to the front of his mind.

"Nothing will ever happen to any of you again."


End file.
